Brenda Blethyn: ‘I ran my first marathon when I was knocking on 60’

Share via

Brenda Blethyn with her husband Michael MayhewRichard Young/Rex Features

Charlotte Edwardes

Published at 12:01AM, March 1 2014

The star of TV’s Vera talks about clouting children, Oscar nomination and being mistaken for ‘Britain’s best actress’

The actress Brenda Blethyn settles into a plush sofa, wrapping one half of her purple cardi over, and begins an anecdote about the perils of fame. “I was at a garden fête the other day and they just went silly,” she says.

“One woman said” — she mimics someone doing a sharp intake of breath with their hands over their mouth and eyes wide — “‘Oh my God! Everybody, look!’ And to me: ‘Will you pull the raffle? Will you? Will you, please?’

“And then there was an announcement.” She does an impression of someone speaking through a megaphone. “‘Attention everyone, attention.